


Bah, HumBuck!

by Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-04 13:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12771846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction/pseuds/Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction
Summary: You’re the newest Avenger. Realizing that Bucky plans to spend Christmas alone, you enlist the help of Vision, Wanda (your best friend) and Steve (Bucky’s best friend and your mentor). You’re determined to make his Christmas amazing, but it seems like luck isn’t on your side.





	1. Plan A

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Powered!Reader
> 
> Warnings: blood (just a bit), language, fluff

It was the morning of December 24th in upstate New York and the inside of the Avengers base had been decked out from top to bottom in ostentatious decorations. Sparkling trees decorated every level, accompanied by garlands, dazzling banners and streamers, and bafflingly intricate and expensive-looking wreaths. 

The outside of the base was covered in a thick, fluffy layer of snow; a beautiful winter wonderland, indeed. By the time everyone had cleared out of the base for Christmas, it was only you, Steve, Wanda, Vision, and Bucky who remained. 

Both you and Bucky were relatively recent additions to the team; he’d gotten back from Wakanda a year ago, Hydra-free, and you’d been recruited only shortly thereafter. 

You didn’t like to toot your own horn too much, but your power -being able to create and control fire and heat- was pretty badass. However, just like fire itself, your powers were temperamental and hard to control. As such, you were assigned a mentor and weren’t put on active duty yet. 

They chose Steve for you, which had taken you by surprise. Surely someone like Thor, Wanda, or Vision would have been a better choice? But it had been decided you’d benefit from Cap’s patient guidance and that his level-headed demeanor might even wear off on you a bit. To your superiors’ credit, it had been working so far. You were more likely to think before you acted now and your powers seemed to fight you less as of late. Still, no missions yet.

You were flipping idly through TV channels in the common room, steaming mug of tea clutched in your hand, when Wanda plopped down next to you. The smile on her face was one you knew well; it was full of the promise for fun. 

“I know that look, Wanda. What’s going on?” you asked with curiosity, smirk dancing on your lips as you looked at your best friend. 

“Wanda wishes to have a movie marathon with the two of us,” came Vision’s voice from behind the couch. You jerked your head back in surprise, craning to get a look at the red android. He was staring at you, blue eyes trained unwaveringly on your face. 

“Vision, stop lurking and come sit down next to your girlfriend,” you ordered good-naturedly, pointing deliberately at the spot on the other side of Wanda from you. He acquiesced, face thoughtful as he considered your words. 

Wanda’s cheeks were tinged pink at your statement and she reached for Vision’s hand once he’d sat down. Their fingers laced together and you smiled. They were so cute together; they’d only recently started dating officially. “Steve and Bucky are invited too, of course!” Wanda said hurriedly. 

“I don’t think that’s happening,” said yet another intruder on your lovely Christmas Eve morning. 

The three of you turned to look at Steve, who looked troubled. 

“What do you mean, Cap’n?” you asked playfully, leaning your head onto the back of the sofa so you could stare at him more easily, brows raised in question.

“Bucky’s holed up in his room and won’t come out; Says he wants to spend Christmas alone,” Steve said as he walked over to the couch and sunk down next to you, anxiety radiating off of him in waves.

“No one wants to spend Christmas alone,” Wanda said disbelievingly. 

“Data does suggest that most people prefer to spend this time of year with ones closest emotionally to them. This trend is especially prevalent-”

“Viz,” you said tersely, giving him a chastising look.

He stopped mid sentence, looking from you to Wanda, who was giving him a similar look. 

“It is as Wanda says. No one wishes to spend Christmas alone,” he said, bowing his head slightly to her in acknowledgement and apology.

“I know that, but I can’t force him to come spend time with us,” Steve said, running a hand over his face in exasperation. 

“Well, technically-” you began, finger held up in objection.

“No, (Y/N). Don’t go there,” Steve said, giving you a hard look.

“I wouldn’t actually force him! I’m just saying we technically _could_!” you said, motioning vaguely at the four of you, especially Wanda and Vision.

Steve groaned and buried his face in his hands. 

“Ok, yeah, that’s the last resort. Got it,” you said, resting your chin on your hand while you thought of a better plan. 

“No, that’s not-” he groaned. “Why are you like this?” Steve asked despairingly, looking at you as though you alone caused all of his problems. To be fair, you definitely caused at least half of them. 

…

Maybe two-thirds.

“I’ve got it!” you said loudly and suddenly enough for both Steve and Wanda to jump in surprise. “Steve! What did you and Bucky do for Christmas in the 40′s?” you asked, turning your excited attention on him. 

Steve had been looking at you apprehensively, but his face softened a bit at your question. “After my ma died I spent Christmas at his place. Christmas wasn’t as… grand as it is nowadays,” he said, grimacing slightly. You knew he resented the increasingly-corporate holiday that Christmas had become. “It was a quiet Christmas Eve dinner together with his family and then camping out in his room for the night. His parents were nice enough to get me a gift for Christmas every year and we’d open presents in the living room, then have a nice breakfast together,” Steve said, thoughts 80 years away. 

You could imagine that; A young Bucky, who had just hit puberty and was beginning to fill out, and a still-scraggly asthmatic Steve sitting together at the dining room table, the Barnes family treating Steve like a second son. You could see the wide-eyed boys excitedly opening their presents and Bucky’s younger sister, Rebecca (who you’d seen in a few pictures), playing with her new doll.

“I have an idea!” you said excitedly, slightly manic grin lining your features. 

A chorus of _Oh no_ ’s rang out in the room and you frowned at all of them. 

“You have a choice. Either you help me, or you leave me unsupervised to do whatever I want,” you said, turning your sickly sweet smile on each of them. 

Steve gulped, eyes widening in horror. Even Wanda looked a bit alarmed; she knew how much trouble you could get yourself into. 

Vision seemed to be thinking. “If we leave her unsupervised for twenty-four hours in her current state of mind, the likelihood of the base being burned down before sunrise tomorrow is 91.64%,” he stated.

“Can’t we just lock her up?” Steve asked. 

You looked at him, shocked, hand over your chest, betrayal clear on your face. 

“At present, Mister Stark’s fireproofing cannot hold out against the highest temperature at which Miss (Y/L/N) can burn. She could escape if she so wished,” Vision said solemnly. 

“Can you knock her out for a few hours?” Steve asked, turning to Wanda. 

You gasped at Steve, legitimately offended now.

Wanda snorted. “I can, yes, but I won’t. Christmas is her favorite holiday and I won’t be the one to take that away from her. Besides, I wouldn’t use my powers on my best friend, anyway,” she said, shrugging. 

You beamed at her, holding your fist out for a fist bump, which she gave enthusiastically, both of you making explosion noises and wiggling your fingers as you pulled your hands away. 

Steve sighed, recognizing defeat. 

“Alright, what’s this plan?” he asked, sounding less than thrilled at the thought of whatever you were about to say. 

You grinned widely, standing up from the couch, and turned to face the three of them, placing your hands firmly on your hips.

“Well, to start-!”

* * *

Your plan ended up being a bunch of mini plans rolled into one. You figured that at least one of the things on your list would make him happy. 

You knocked on Bucky’s door, practically bouncing up and down on the balls of your feet. 

His grumpy voice could be heard through the door a half second later. “Go away, Steve. I already told you-”

“It’s me, Bucky!” you said, cutting across what was likely a well-rehearsed speech. 

There was a pause where you could hear him shuffling behind the door before it opened a half second later.

[Originally posted by srogersxbbarnes](https://tmblr.co/ZJbdjg28wGWii)

It was only open a few inches, but you could see Bucky studying you warily. 

“Is Steve out there?” he asked, glancing as far down the hallway as he could in either direction. 

“Nope! Just me,” you said, voice downright chipper. 

At that, Bucky opened the door the rest of the way. His room was bathed in darkness, making you frown for a second before you plastered a smile back on your face. 

“So I know it might not be your thing, but I wanted to make Christmas cookies. It’s a little last minute, I know, but the urge was just overwhelming all of a sudden. I’ve never made cookies before so I was hoping you might help me out, even if it’s just as an extra set of hands because I know I’ll probably end up messing them up or something and I really wanted to have a nice treat for-”

Bucky held up a hand, effectively cutting off your rambling. 

You gulped, suddenly nervous. You wouldn’t admit it to anybody, but you had a huge crush on Bucky. You had a feeling Wanda knew, but she hadn’t said anything yet. Although you were prone to rambling, it always seemed worse when you were around Bucky.

He crossed his arms as he studied you and you put on the most doe-eyed, hopeful expression you could muster. 

He stared at you for a full ten seconds before he spoke again. “Fine,” he said grumpily before unceremoniously slamming the door in your face.

You stared at the door, confused. It sounded like he’d agreed, but… why did he close his door in your face? Maybe his words had been a ruse to appease you? Confuse you into shutting up? If that was the case, it was working. When he didn’t immediately reappear, you started pacing in front of his door, trying to think of a new plan of attack. You could always-

“What are you doing?” he asked from his doorway, eyeing you with confusion. 

You yelped, jumping at the sound of his voice. You hadn’t heard the door open or seen him standing there. 

Stupid super-spy-assassin sneaking skills.

You looked him up and down and realized what he’d been doing: getting changed. He wore a cozy-looking maroon sweater and a pair of thick black sweat pants. You had to stop yourself from giggling at the thick pair of dark grey toe socks on his feet. 

“Waiting for you,” you said, beaming up at him. “Ready to make some cookies?” you asked jovially, jerking your thumb over your shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. 

He shrugged noncommittally, avoiding your gaze. 

“I’ll take that as a yes!” you said excitedly as you grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the kitchen where Steve, Vision, and Wanda were gathering ingredients from the expansive pantry. 

* * *

[Originally posted by butteryplanet](https://tmblr.co/ZZGNTl2FnRUf9)

The five of you were chatting idly at the dining room table, cleaning up the giant mess that had been the cookie-making party. The kitchen was big enough that you’d been able to put all of your creations in at once, meaning you’d have plenty of time to decorate them. 

“What’s that smell?” Bucky asked, sniffing the air, a look of concern on his face.

You sniffed the air, too, and your face fell in horror. “Oh no,” you muttered, dropping the dough-caked bowl and spoons you’d been carrying as you ran to the kitchen. They clattered to the floor, utensils and bits of cookie dough flying every direction. 

The ovens were belching out smoke and you hurriedly shut them off, muttering a string of expletives under your breath. The others peeked in cautiously (probably in the fear that you were setting everything on fire, judging from the apprehension on their faces). 

You yanked the trays out of the oven without bothering to put on oven mitts (the heat didn’t effect you and they just got in the way, anyway) and placed them on the kitchen counter before slamming the oven doors shut again. You stared down at the trays in wide-eyed despair.

The cookies all of you had just made were blackened and barely recognizable from the fun Christmas-themed shapes they’d been when you’d put them in the ovens. 

“What temperature did you set the ovens to?” Wanda asked cautiously, moving to stand next to you with her shirt over her nose. 

“I thought I set it to 350, but-”

“The ovens were set to 530 on broil, Miss Maximoff,” FRIDAY helpfully supplied. 

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “I’m so sorry. I just pressed the buttons and didn’t bother double checking-”

“It’s alright, (Y/N). Accidents happen,” Steve said, smiling kindly at you. 

“We have time! We can make another batch-”

“It will take a few hours to clean the ovens of the smokey smell. Using them before this process is over is not recommended,” FRIDAY informed you.

You groaned, sinking to the floor in defeat. Wanda picked through the cookies carefully, looking for any that might be worth saving, but seemed to deem them all ultimately unsalvageable and dumped them into the trash one tray after the other.

Hell, this hadn’t worked. Which meant it was time for Plan B.


	2. Plan B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re the newest Avenger. Realizing that Bucky plans to spend Christmas alone, you enlist the help of Wanda, your best friend, and Steve, Bucky’s best friend and your mentor. You’re determined to make his Christmas amazing. Baking cookies failed, so it’s time for the next step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Powered!Reader
> 
> Warnings: blood (just a bit), language, fluff

 

 

[Originally posted by magicalseasons](https://tmblr.co/ZLKTNx1yGUgUs)

_You groaned, sinking to the floor in defeat. Wanda picked through the cookies carefully, looking for any that might be worth saving, but seemed to deem them all ultimately unsalvageable and dumped them into the trash one tray after the other._

  _Hell, this hadn’t worked. Which meant it was time for Plan B._

 

 

 

 

* * *

“Well, while we wait for the ovens to fix themselves, we can make some decorations for the tree!” you said excitedly as you jumped up, giving everyone whiplash from your sudden change in demeanor. “Meet me in the common room in fifteen minutes!” you said excitedly as you made your way away from the ovens and towards the hallway.

Bucky sighed. “I think I’ll-”

You turned and walked backwards, scowling at him as you went. “No! Common room! Fifteen minutes. No exceptions. No excuses!” you said firmly, pointing at him insistently. You forgot about the small dip in the floor that divided the kitchen from the hallway and it caught your heel, causing you to catapult backwards, right into the carpeted floor. You hit your head hard, causing you to wince and clutch at it tenderly. That would probably turn into a lovely goose egg.

All four of them were wearing matching looks of pained sympathy, hands out as though they had tried to warn you (to be fair, they probably were about to).

You hopped back up, rubbing your sore head gently. “No exceptions!” you said fiercely again, pointing at each of them in turn while you glared at them challengingly before you raced off down the hallway, this time watching where you were going.

[Originally posted by butteryplanet](https://tmblr.co/ZZGNTl2G5liaD)

Fifteen minutes later you trudged into the common room, carefully balancing a pile of craft odds and ends in your arms.

The tree had been decorated already by Stark’s people, but it was a little modern and minimalistic. You knew it could benefit from a few home-made touches.

Their gazes snapped to you as you walked in, apprehension clear on their faces.

“Alright, I’ve got popcorn, thread, needles, paints, paint brushes, paper, scissors and some plain Christmas ornaments that I found in a closet on the third floor,” you said cheerfully, placing your hoard of things onto the table in front of them. You hadn’t actually found the Christmas ornaments in the base; they were your own. You’d been planning on decorating your own personal tree for your room, but ended up being too busy and they’d been sitting on your shelf, staring at you accusingly since late November.

“Popcorn garlands, hand-painted ornaments, and paper snowflakes?” Vision asked, scanning the pile of supplies.

“Yup!” you said cheerily as you opened the box of ornaments. The box split and the ornaments escaped, plummeting towards the ground, but stopped just before they hit the floor, surrounded by red mist. You looked at Wanda, relieved smile on your face. “Thanks, Wanda,” you said, placing the remainder of the ornaments gently onto the table. She nodded, small smile on her face as she carefully returned the ornaments to their box with her powers.

“I believe I will make snowflakes. I have a few patterns in mind that should produce visually appealing products,” Vision said, reaching for the stack of white paper and a pair of scissors.

“I’ll make some with you,” Wanda said, smiling fondly at Vision, who returned her smile with a shy one of his own.

“I think I’ll paint a few ornaments,” Steve said, reaching for the paints and brushes. You beamed; you’d had a feeling he’d like that option. You sat down in front of the coffee table, watching them happily as they began working away.

You turned to Bucky, who was looking at the pile of crafts like they might reach up and bite him at any moment.

“What do you wanna do, Bucky?” you asked, gesturing broadly at the table. “You could help Steve with the ornaments, or make a few paper snowflakes. I’m going to start popping the popcorn for the garlands, and it might be helpful to have someone helping with that! I’ve never made a-”

“Alright,” Bucky said shortly, looking up at you through his dark eyelashes.

You blinked once, confused, before smiling nervously. “Alright?” you asked slowly.

He shifted uncomfortably, pointing to the pile of unpopped popcorn. “I’ll help you with the garlands,” he mumbled, moving off of the couch to take a seat on the ground next to you.

Your heart beat faster at his sudden proximity, but you pushed your nervousness away and turned a bright smile on him. “Thanks! Do you wanna start threading the needles? I think it’d be a good idea to put one on both ends of the thread so that-”

“-we can work on it at the same time,” he said, nodding in understanding as he reached for the sewing kit. You smiled shyly, nodding. You picked up the first bag of popcorn and held it in your hands, focusing intently.

“Shouldn’t you just use the microwave?” Steve chastised, looking up from his ornament warily.

“Don’t wanna get up,” you mumbled, closing your eyes as you concentrated on focusing heat in your palms.

After a moment, the bag began to dance in your hands as kernels started bursting. You waited until there were a few seconds between each pop to stop applying heat. You opened your eyes, smiling in satisfaction.

Steve was smiling broadly at you, nodding his head proudly. “Nice control,” he praised.

Wanda clapped excitedly, giving you a thumbs up from her spot on Vision’s lap. Vision gave you a benevolent smile and a tentative thumbs up, which made you giggle.

You glanced at Bucky, who, to your surprise, was smiling along with everyone else, even if it was small by comparison.

You hastily looked away in embarrassment and opened the bag to let the popcorn cool. “Do you guys want another bag for a snack?” you asked before you shoved a few pieces into your mouth and chewed happily.

A chorus of vaguely affirmative noises was all the signal you needed and you carefully popped another bag just as skillfully as the first.

“Maybe we should have just had you bake the cookies like this,” Wanda said, gesturing to you as you opened the second bag and laid it out for everyone to eat.

“Haha. Very funny,” you said sarcastically, rolling your eyes playfully at her. You knew she was joking; making a bag of popcorn was a whole different ball game from the heat and consistency needed to bake cookies.

“Here,” Bucky said, holding a threaded needle out to you. You smiled at him and took it carefully, not wanting to embarrass yourself by sticking yourself with it.

“Thanks, Bucky,” you said earnestly as you grabbed a few pieces of popcorn and began trying to string them together. You were so focused on not stabbing yourself that you missed the warm, shy smile he was aiming at you.

First of all, making garlands out of popcorn was way more difficult than you’d thought it would be. By the time you were done you’d made a small mountain of crushed popcorn bits and you’d had to pop two more bags.

Second, to add insult to injury [to your ego], Bucky was unfairly good at it. In the time it took you to get one piece of popcorn threaded, Bucky strung together five or six.

By the time the two of you had finished, Wanda and Vision had peppered the entire common room with beautiful, intricate paper snow flakes that took your breath away. Steve had painted a bunch of cute little Christmas scenes on the ornaments and currently had them sitting in front of the electric fireplace to dry.

“Ready to put this up?” Bucky asked, holding his end of the long garland up in question.

“Definitely!” you said, beaming at him. You jumped to your feet, deftly dodging your pile of destroyed popcorn bits on your way over to the tree. It was only once you stood in front of the tree that you realized exactly how tall it was. You gazed up at the top, which towered above you, and groaned. This tree was probably twice your height. “I forgot a ladder! One sec, I’ll go-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Bucky said dismissively.

You turned to him, eyebrow raised in amusement. “Bucky, you’re tall, but you’re not that-”

You let out a yelp of surprise as he picked you up as though you weighed nothing at all and placed you securely onto his shoulders. Your hands reached for the only thing you could hold onto: his head. He looked up at you and you had to try hard not to catapult yourself off of his shoulders at the feeling. He was grinning up at you.

That bastard. He probably didn’t even what he was doing to you.

“Like I said, don’t worry about it,” he said as he handed the garland up to you. You were so distracted you didn’t even hear the quiet sniggers coming from Steve and Wanda.

You focused on putting the garland on the tree like your life depended on it, trying to ignore the heat creeping into your cheeks. Eventually, you were able to kind of (not really) ignore the fact that Bucky’s head was between your legs, asking him to move left or right as needed as you tried to get the hang of placing the garland strategically. Wanda, Vision, and Steve would pipe up with placement suggestions every once in a while. Eventually, though, you tried to get a good look at your progress but couldn’t because of how close you were to the tree.

So, instead of doing the smart thing- like asking Bucky to put you down for a minute or asking him to back up a bit- you went full idiot and leaned back on his shoulders, immediately losing your balance.

This was it. This was how you died; Falling off the shoulders of a beefy giant on Christmas Eve.

You yelped as the world tilted and you closed your eyes, bracing for the impact.

But the inevitable neck-breaking fall never came, and you were suddenly aware of Bucky’s hands holding you firmly in place by your thighs. He gave them a gentle tug forward, pulling you back upright and… even closer to his head. You felt your cheeks heat in earnest now, half out of embarrassment from your bumbling, half out of the position the two of you were in.

“Alright, Doll?” he asked, looking up at you worriedly with those stunning steel blue eyes. How could you not be okay? I mean, he was probably about to give you a heart attack with those eyes, but you could have died happily right then.

[Originally posted by maiden-marvel](https://tmblr.co/Zznseg28vibtn)

“Yeah. ‘M fine,” you muttered, unable to look away from his gaze.

“(Y/N)…” came a far-off voice from behind you that neither you nor Bucky seemed to pay much attention to.

“(Y/N),” it said again, more insistently this time.

You made a noncommittal noise in your throat, hyper-aware of the way Bucky’s hands seemed to squeeze your thighs unconsciously, gaze darkening marginally.

“(Y/N)!” Steve yelled, finally snapping you back into the real world.

You looked up and screeched. The tree was ablaze.

“FIRE!” you yelled, pointing to the tree in front of you, eyes widening in alarm.

“Don’t just stand there! You can stop that! _You control fire_ ,” Steve yelled, sounding both panicked and annoyed at the same time.

“Right!” you said hurriedly, concentrating hard to extinguish the flames with your powers.

By the time you’d gotten rid of the blaze, the tree was a half-burned mess and the smell of burned plastic and melted glass filled the room.

Once he was sure that the worst of the danger had passed, Bucky lifted you off of his shoulders and set you down carefully. You looked at Steve who was looking at the tree in mingled shock and sadness.

“Did… did I do that?” you asked hesitantly, not sure if you wanted to know the answer.

“Mhm!” came Wanda’s carefree confirmation from the couch.

You glanced beneath the tree and breathed out a sigh of relief. “At least the presents made it?” you asked, guilty smile on your lips.

Steve whirled on you and opened his mouth to chew you out but seemed to think better of it, instead muttering under his breath as he went to check on his ornaments.

You looked back at the tree, grimacing at your accidental handiwork. The garland you and Bucky made had been burned to a crisp, the sight making you sadder than you thought it would.

“C’mon, he won’t be mad for too long. It was an accident,” Bucky said quietly, nudging your shoulder gently with his arm; He must have thought you were upset because Steve was angry. “You should make some snowflakes to cheer yourself up,” he said encouragingly. You smiled up at him, his kindness more than you’d been expecting from the usually stoic, quiet assassin. “You’re right!” you said excitedly, returning to the table to make some beautiful paper snowflakes.

* * *

“Why is there so much blood?” you asked anxiously, clutching the scrap of fabric to the giant cut on your hand. You’d given yourself a truly impressive gash while cutting out your snowflake, resulting in the enormous bloody mess that was your palm.

“Because you didn’t notice right away and let it get everywhere!” Wanda said from behind you as the five of you made your way to the med wing. Bucky carried you the entire way, even though you’d assured him you could walk just fine. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and you weren’t going to fight him on it… you also may have enjoyed the entire journey in his arms, but you wouldn’t admit that to anyone.  

“Oh, right,” you said, grimacing as the fabric scraped against the cut.

“Vision, do you know how to work-”

“I am already on it,” Vision said, phasing ahead of the group into the med room.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later you were walking out of the med ward, the gash just a faint pink scar on your palm.

“Damn, Doctor Cho really is amazing,” you said as you held your hand in front of your face and studied it closely. Your brain was working in overdrive while you walked; Plan A and B failed, so plans C and D were next.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re the newest Avenger. Realizing that Bucky plans to spend Christmas alone, you enlist the help of Wanda, your best friend, and Steve, Bucky’s best friend and your mentor. You’re determined to make his Christmas amazing.
> 
> Plan A: Burned the cookies  
> Plan B: Set the tree on fire and had to go to the med wing
> 
> Time for plans C and D!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Powered!Reader
> 
> Warnings: language, fluff
> 
> Flame on? Flame on.  
> Was giving Reader the same powers of human torch intentional? Yes. Did I do it because Chris Evans was the human torch? No, but I still love that coincidence.

[Originally posted by xthereisnotomorrow](https://tmblr.co/ZxTV4r1yWc0kj)

_Fifteen minutes later you were walking out of the med ward, the gash just a faint pink scar on your palm.  
_

_“Damn, Doctor Cho really is amazing,” you said as you held your hand in front of your face and studied it closely. Your brain was working in overdrive while you walked; Plan A and B failed, so plan C was next._

* * *

Steve let out a long sigh. “You’re just lucky it was a pretty easy fix and that she’s already calibrated her tech for your DNA,” he said, running a hand over his face. “You also need to thank Vision; he’s the only one of us who knew how to work Cho’s machine.” 

“Thanks, Viz!” you said, holding your newly-healed hand up for a high five. He looked from your face to your hand in confusion for a moment before he seemed to remember what he was supposed to do. He returned your high five perfectly with a loud _smack_ … and it hurt. You smiled, but as soon as he’d turned away you shook your hand out, wincing at how badly it stung.

Steve let out a sigh. “Now, I think that’s enough excit-”

“We should go sledding!” you said, cutting across Steve with a smile he easily recognized as the _“I’m going to do it anyway so you may as well join me_ ” look. He groaned, rubbing his temples. 

“Fine,” he said tiredly. 

“Do we even have sleds?” Wanda asked, eyebrows raised in question. 

“There are sleds purchased specially by Mr. Stark for these occasions,” FRIDAY informed you. 

“Awesome! FRIDAY, make sure those make it to the entrance of the building in the next fifteen minutes, please!” you said as you turned to the others. “West Entrance to the compound. Twenty minutes! Bundle up!” you ordered cheerfully as you ran down the hallway. You had a couple things to do and not a whole lot of time to do them.

* * *

[Originally posted by joyeuxno-el](https://tmblr.co/ZqhSyl2Fp8vSY)

Nineteen and a half minutes later you were at the base’s West Entrance, bundled up in layers of jackets and were panting from running around nonstop. You’d even found your old pair of ski pants, which was nice. Wet pants ruined snowy day fun faster than you could say “hypothermia.” Sure, you could dry them off with your powers, but it was just _so much work_ (and came with risk of setting your pants on fire). You shuffled your backpack around on your back until it was sitting more comfortably and glanced around the foyer for everyone else. 

Bucky was sitting quietly on one of the uncomfortable-looking blocky black couches, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window. Snow was still falling outside, blanketing the entire compound with a layer of cold white fluff. 

You were about to go up and talk to him when the elevator dinged open, revealing Wanda, Vision, and Steve. 

“I still do not understand why sledding is so appealing when one can fly, but I will make an attempt,” Vision was saying, drawing both your and Bucky’s attention towards him. 

“That’s all I’m asking, Viz,” Wanda said kindly, taking his hand in hers as she smiled up at him. 

“Are we all ready to go?” you asked all of them, barely contained excitement showing on your face. 

“What’s in the backpack?” Steve asked suspiciously, giving it and you the stink eye. 

“A surprise! Now, are you ready to go?” you said evasively. 

“As we’ll ever be,” Steve said grimly, glancing at the frigid paradise outside. 

“Awesome! The sleds are outside; one for each of us!” you informed them, practically skipping for the door. You may have missed the way Bucky was smiling at you, but Steve and Wanda didn’t. They gave each other knowing looks that you, Vision, and Bucky all missed.

You wrenched the door open and the wave of cold air hit you. It wasn’t as though it bothered you much; you didn’t really think you could _get_ cold. 

Wanda and Steve were a little more apprehensive. You couldn’t blame Steve; he’d spent 70 years as a popsicle after all. Vision didn’t mind the cold, though, and easily coaxed Wanda outside, Steve following shortly thereafter. 

What surprised you, though, was that Bucky seemed hesitant. The Winter Soldier? Afraid of a little snow? Nah. Impossible.

“C’mon, Buck! We’re burning…” you glanced up at the sky and frowned “-cloud light,” you finished lamely. 

He snorted at that, small smile on his lips, and your heart soared. He didn’t smile very often so you enjoyed it every time you saw it. He picked up one of the sleds beside the door and fell into step beside you. 

The group made their way towards the east side of the compound. There were a few steep hills there. Wanda, Steve, and Vision were chatting animatedly ahead of you and Bucky about something you couldn’t quite hear. After a few minutes of walking in silence with Bucky, he spoke up. “What _is_ in the bag?” he asked curiously, eyes sparkling with mischief. 

“Hey! I said it was a surprise! You’ll find out eventually!” you said, paranoid, turning your torso so that the backpack was hidden behind you. 

He laughed at that. Actually laughed. As in eye-crinkling, teeth-showing, chest-rumbling laugh. 

Your heart tried to kill you when you heard it, it was beating so fast. He had a wonderful laugh. You were used to feeling warm, but the way his laugh made you feel-

Light? Safe? Happy? Maybe… that he might actually enjoy your company?

“Alright, alright. I won’t pry. Promise,” he said, smile still etched into his face. 

You tried to memorize it but apparently were being too obvious, because it slid from his face once he realized you were staring. 

“Is… is there something on my face?” he asked, suddenly looking a bit alarmed. 

_Oh no. He noticed me staring._ “No! It’s just- I uh-” Think. Come up with an excuse. Any excuse. “I just like your laugh,” you sputtered. Your eyes widened in horror a half second later at your words, but you couldn’t look away from his gaze. 

He looked almost as shocked by your words as you did, his pace faltering for a beat. He looked away from you, gaze forward, and didn’t say anything, his face hidden by his hair.

_Great. Really great fucking job, (Y/N). You made him uncomfortable_ , you chastised yourself mentally.

You hung your head and trudged onward, gaze straight ahead, not noticing the shy, pleased smile and blush on Bucky’s face. 

* * *

Your fun sledding activity quickly devolved into a competition of who could do the coolest tricks. You’d been upset at first, but after Steve pulled off a particularly impressive triple-back-flip-turned-handstand and challenged you to try and one up him, all bets were off. 

“Go (Y/N)!” Wanda cheered from the bottom of the hill. She’d wiped out a while ago and decided to stay put until the snow numbed her butt. Vision was sitting with her, discussing the finer points of sledding.

You placed your sled about ten feet back from the point where the hill began to drop and walked even farther back. 

Steve and Bucky watched you with interest. 

“Watch and learn, boys,” you said, winking salaciously at them. 

Steve suddenly look worried and Bucky turned a deep crimson but you’d already looked away. 

You took a running start at your sled, gathering your powers in your hands. The moment your feet hit the sled you threw your arms behind you and turned your powers on full blast, giant jets of flame shooting from your palms. You rocketed forward, still going slow enough at first for gravity to pull you down instead of sending you flying off the edge of the hill. 

The jump the boys had built, though, was a completely different story. You flew off it, sled leaving your feet as you used your powers to flip yourself midair once, twice, three times, before you plummeted back to earth, landing skillfully on top of your sled, riding it like a snowboard. You let your momentum carry you for a while before you hopped off of the sled…

And immediately fell face-first into the snow. You hadn’t realized how fast you’d been going and weren’t expecting the force of acceleration to be as strong as it was. Your feet hadn’t been able to keep up with how fast the rest of you was moving… and now you had a face full of snow. 

You heard the others laughing merrily at your misfortune and your face literally burned with embarrassment, melting the snow under it. 

“You alright?” Steve yelled down from the top of the hill, smile obvious in his voice. 

You didn’t get up, simply giving him a depressed thumbs up in response, which sent everyone into a fresh fit of laughter. 

Yup. You could just die here. That would be preferable to facing the life of teasing this was sure to earn you. 

The telltale sound of a sled approaching followed by the crunch of snow beneath feet finally made you look up.

You immediately buried your face back into the snow, not wanting to face him.

“You can’t lay there forever, Doll,” Bucky said kindly, smile clear in his voice. 

“I think I can, actually,” you muttered bitterly. 

“What was that?” he asked playfully, though he’d clearly heard you.

“I’m going to die. Right here. In this snow bank. Just leave me. Tell my family I love them. Also, tell Tony he’s an asshole,” you said melodramatically. 

He laughed at that last bit. “Sorry, that’s not allowed. If you decide to die a slow death out here it means I’d have to spend more time out here in the snow,” he said stubbornly, but you could still hear the smile in his voice. 

“What’s wrong with the snow?” you asked curiously, finally turning your head to peek up at him. 

He suddenly looked awkward, as though he’d said something he hadn’t meant to. He fidgeted where he stood and picked up his sled. “C’mon, Doll. We can’t let you end on a note like that,” he said, extending his hand down to you. 

“Do you not like the snow?” you asked perceptively without taking his hand. You looked at him properly, scrutinizing every movement closely. 

He swallowed hard, looking well and truly guilty now. “It’s, uh, not my favorite, no. It reminds me of Siberia and-”

You were up in a flash, throwing your arms around his waist. He dropped his sled in surprise, looking down at you in shock. “I’m sorry! I had no idea! I would never have forced you out here if I’d known!” you said quickly, trying to figure out how to make up for-

“Wait here!” you said, letting him go abruptly to run a few feet away before you focused your powers in your hands and feet and quite literally flew back to the top of the hill, leaving a trail of flame in your wake. You landed heavily, staggering a couple steps before you grabbed your backpack.

Steve was staring at you, alarmed. “(Y/N)? What’s going on? Why did you-” 

You snatched Steve’s sled from his hands, throwing it on the ground in one fluid motion. “Borrowingthisnoweverything’sfinethanksSteve,” you said in the span of a second and a half before you sat down on top of it and pushed yourself off of the edge, this time letting gravity- and not your powers- take you to the bottom. 

You got off as soon as the sled started going too slowly for your liking, running the rest of the way to Bucky, pack bouncing against your back. 

To his credit, he’d stayed exactly where you’d told him to, though he was looking at you warily. 

“Am I about to find out what’s in that bag?” he asked apprehensively. 

You made it the last few steps to him, panting softly from the exertion of flying up to the top of the hill and running through snow. 

“Yup!” you said merrily, throwing the pack down in front of you. You kneeled down, unzipped it, and pulled out-

“Thermoses?” Bucky asked, looking absolutely confounded as he sat down next to you.

“Yeah! I made some hot cocoa before we left and put it in these. There’s one for each of us!” you said chipperly, handing him a silver and red thermos that reminded you of his arm. You pulled out the cheesy flames-and-black one that you’d decided was yours and looked at him sheepishly. 

“I know it’s a bit silly, but… I wanted to give you a good memory. Of snow,” you said, gesturing to the area around the two of you. “God, it sounds so selfish when I put it like that. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

You were cut off by him opening the thermos. You looked at him, surprised. The smell of hot chocolate hit you immediately, laced with-

“Oh, I forgot to mention! I also spiked it,” you said, winking mischievously. 

“You know I can’t get drunk, right?” he asked, smile playing on his lips as he poured some into the cap cup. 

You froze in the middle of opening your own thermos, smile sliding right off of your face. 

_Fuck. There went plans…_ wait, what plans were you on again? You thought about it for a second and concluded spiked hot cocoa and sledding were plans _D and E_ , but you weren’t one hundred percent sure. _No. C and D. They were plans C and D._

“I totally forgot,” you said, feeling like a complete idiot. You laid back in the snow, thermos forgotten next to your backpack, and wallowed in your own failure. 

“Mm, tasty,” Bucky said casually, causing you to look up in surprise. “Baileys?” he asked, taking another sip. 

You nodded, sitting up slowly. Maybe it wasn’t a total loss, but you still felt like an insensitive ass. First the snow, then forgetting about how he can’t get drunk or even tipsy.

“Good choice,” he said, smiling at you over his cup of cocoa. 

[Originally posted by littlemisssyreid](https://tmblr.co/ZU_u7q2P37QIn)

“Did you really make cocoa and not give me some?” asked Wanda from behind you. 

You turned to her, startled by her sudden appearance, but you smiled and shook your head.

“Of course not,” you said, snorting dismissively as you pulled out the pure red thermos you’d designated as hers. “It’s generously spiked, so take is slow,” you warned as she took it from you. 

“You’re the best!” Wanda said happily as she took a seat next to you, opening her flask excitedly. 

“Excuse me, I hate to impose, but-”

“Yeah, I made some for you, too, Viz,” you said, grinning widely at him as you pulled out a thermos that was patterned with tiny red, blue, green, and yellow ones and zeros. 

“Thank you, (Y/N),” he said as he took it from you as sat down next to Wanda.

That just left-

“So first you steal my sled and then you don’t tell me about the hot chocolate?” Steve asked, pretend anger in his voice. 

“Do you want the hot chocolate or not?” you asked playfully, waving the last untouched thermos in front of him tantalizingly. It was, of course, bespangled.

“Yes please,” he said quickly, sitting down on the other side of Bucky. You tossed him his thermos, grinning, and he caught it easily. 

You chatted in the snow, sipping hot chocolate for a while. At some point you conjured a fire in the center of the group and, although the boys might not admit it, you knew they all appreciated it. 

Two hours later the five of you trudged back into the residential building (well, Vision was floating gracefully, but he was always graceful). You were talking to Bucky as you walked. Your plan hadn’t been a complete failure, but it still wasn’t good enough. 

Time for Plan E.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re the newest Avenger. Realizing that Bucky plans to spend Christmas alone, you enlist the help of Wanda, your best friend, and Steve, Bucky’s best friend and your mentor. You’re determined to make his Christmas amazing.
> 
> Plan A  
> Plan B  
> Plans C and D
> 
> Plan E will work …right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The link later on in the chapter will take you to my Tumblr. I promise it's worth the click <3

[Originally posted by leave-me-colourless](https://tmblr.co/ZkaOEu2GHBMHb)

_You chatted in the snow, sipping hot chocolate for a while. At some point you conjured a fire in the center of the group and, although the boys might not admit it, you knew they all appreciated it.  
_

* * *

_Two hours later the five of you trudged back into the residential building (well, Vision was floating gracefully, but he was always graceful). You were talking to Bucky as you walked. Your plan hadn’t been a complete failure, but it still wasn’t good enough.  
_

_Time for Plan E._

* * *

“(Y/N)!” Wanda said excitedly, causing you and Bucky to stop walking and turn to look at her.

She was pointing above you, eyes alight with excitement. You looked to where she was pointing and gulped. 

There, above you and Bucky, was (unmistakably) a sprig of mistletoe. 

You looked at Bucky, who was looking at you like a deer caught in the headlights. Vision must not have noticed the tension or Wanda’s outburst, as he was too busy talking to Steve and bumped into you, knocking you out from under the mistletoe. 

“Oh, my apologies, Miss (Y/L/N). I did not-” 

“Viz!” Wanda said, exasperated. 

He looked from you to Bucky, to Wanda, and then back to Bucky, confused until he looked up. 

“Ah, mistletoe. I did not know Mister Stark’s decorators had added it,” he said, bending down to give Bucky a formal peck on the cheek. 

When he straightened up, proud smile on his face over his grasp of Christmas traditions, he was met with a blank, soulless stare from Bucky, and a livid one from Wanda. She dragged him away wordlessly.

“I don’t understand. It’s customary to-”

They rounded the corner and you couldn’t hear them anymore, but judging by Wanda’s reaction he was probably getting an earful for his unintentional mistake. You wished she’d go easy on him; it had been a peck on the cheek after all. 

To his credit, Bucky seemed mostly unphased. “Well, I’m going back to my room-” 

“Wait!” you said quickly. To your surprise Bucky froze and stared at you apprehensively. “I was wondering if we could do a gift exchange? I know you’re not supposed to open presents early, but we have a little bit of time before we have to start making dinner and I used to open one gift on Christmas Eve when I was little and I thought it might be something fun to do. Although of course we don’t have to! I suppose there aren’t a lot of presents to begin with so it might be best to wait until tomorrow so that we have more to open-” 

Bucky let out a loud sigh. His face was shadowed, so you couldn’t see his expression all that well. What you could see, however, were the cold steel blue eyes trained on your face. You fidgeted nervously, worried that you’d finally annoyed him too much. 

_Damnit. If only I’d just kept my mouth shut._

He turned and walked away without saying anything, Steve following closely behind. Steve gave you a small smile as he passed, although you couldn’t return it. You tried, but you just couldn’t make today nice for Bucky. Your gaze fell to the ground and you stood in the hallway, trying to keep it together. You’d tried so hard; why didn’t-

“You coming?” came Bucky’s soft, gravelly voice from the other end of the hall. 

You looked up in surprise, gaze falling onto the two super soldiers who stood at the end of the hall, looking at you expectantly. Steve motioned down the hall towards the lounge where the gifts and half-burned Christmas tree awaited. 

A broad smile broke out on your face. Perhaps you hadn’t failed, after all. 

“Yup!” you said excitedly, practically skipping down the hall. 

Steve smiled at your exuberance and Bucky rolled his eyes at you, though you didn’t miss the small, crooked smile that graced his features.

You’d thought that perhaps you should invite Wanda and Vision down for the gift exchange, but the image of Vision kissing Bucky on the cheek and Bucky looking absolutely dead inside changed your mind. Maybe it was best Vision wasn’t around Bucky for a little while.

You dug around the bottom of the tree and pulled out two packages; One for Bucky and one for Steve, both from you. 

Steve’s gift had been an expensive but easy choice; A limited edition anniversary box set of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. You’d already gotten him the book set for his birthday, so it only seemed natural to follow it up with the movies. 

You’d spent a lot of time thinking about Bucky’s gift. What did you get an aloof 100 year old assassin? Your brain went everywhere from guns to 40′s-themed clothing to new tech that he might like. You even thought about getting him a trip to a spa or hot spring. He always seemed so tense that you were sure he’d benefit from an hour-long massage or soak in hot water… but the thought of the Winter Soldier getting a mud mask was just too ridiculous so you settled on something practical.

Half of the time you saw him he was wearing a beaten, threadbare red Henley. You’d known him almost a year and you were pretty sure you could tell someone where all the holes in that shirt were while blindfolded. There was a good chance he had it on now, but if he did it was hidden under his fluffy maroon sweater. 

As such, you’d gone to nearly every clothing store you could think of to find a nearly identical replacement, as well as a few others in the same style but indifferent colors. It was a simple gift, but something you hoped he’d enjoy and appreciate nonetheless.

You handed them their gifts eagerly, excited to see their reactions.

“Have at it!” you said excitedly, motioning for them to unwrap their presents as you sat down in front of him on the coffee table.

Steve carefully undid his, meticulously pulling the tape off as he unfolded your neat creases. The second his glimpsed the Lord of the Rings logo, though, you could tell it was difficult for him to continue patiently unwrapping his gift. 

Bucky shook his present as he held it up to his ear, as though he was trying to guess what it was. He apparently gave up because he quickly ripped through the paper. 

Steve was happily admiring his gift, so enamored he hadn’t even snapped out of his gawking to thank you yet, so you focused on Bucky. 

He opened the plain white clothing box slowly, shoving the tissue paper out of the way with his metal fingers.

You were practically vibrating with excitement, edging forward on the edge of the coffee table. A small part of you thought it was silly to get so excited about his reaction to a couple of shirts, but you couldn’t help yourself. 

Bucky’s face changed imperceptibly. It was subtle; the hardening of his eyes, the corners of his lips tugging down barely a millimeter, his shoulders tensing as he froze, looking down into the box.

You were good enough at reading his body language by now to know what it all meant. He hated it. Your face fell and your body stilled, looking at him apprehensively. 

“What the hell is this?” he asked, gaze flicking up to you. There was a tension in his voice that made your heart plummet to your stomach.

“I… I just thought you might like-” 

“Well, you thought wrong,” he said as he shoved the lid roughly back on the box, stood, and dropped it on the couch where he’d been sitting. You could feel your heart shattering. Surely your gift couldn’t have been _that_ offensive? But Bucky stalked down the hallway, shoulders hunched, quietly fuming as he made his way towards his room. 

“Bucky… _Bucky!_ ” Steve yelled after his friend, disappointment clear in his voice. It was clear he was upset that his friend had stormed off; he was torn between going after him and checking on you. When he turned back to you, though, his mind was made up for him.

He was instantly off of the couch, his gift forgotten on the seat behind him “Hey, sweetheart. Don’t cry,” he said softly, hands hovering over your arms and face, unsure of exactly what to do.

You were crying? Huh. You hadn’t even noticed. 

You quickly wiped your tears away and put on a brave smile. “It’s alright!” you said a little too cheerfully for how puffy and watery your eyes were. It was clear Steve wasn’t buying it, so you pressed on. “I’ll just return them and get him a gift card, or something!” you said, willing yourself back into the Christmas spirit. There went Plan E.

“What… What did you get him?” Steve asked, glancing at the plain white box out of the corner of his eye. 

You sniffled, your mouth quirking up in a sad half smile. “Oh, nothing too special. You can look, if you want,” you said, motioning to the box dejectedly. 

Steve still looked at you with concern, but he picked up the box, shoving the tissue paper out of the way just like Bucky had done. 

He froze, just like Bucky had, when he laid his eyes on the gift. 

“Uh, (Y/N)…?” 

“Mm?” you asked, confused by his reaction. Surely shirts weren’t that confusing? A little bland for a gift, apparently, but-

“Why did you get Bucky a painting of Sam done in the renaissance style for Christmas?” Steve asked, pulling the painting out of the box. **[Sure enough, Sam Wilson was gazing back at you, immortalized in oil paint on a 10x12 canvas, looking regal in renaissance-era clothing.](https://green-eyeddragonfanfiction.tumblr.com/post/168416866944/should-i-have-spent-6-hours-working-on-this)**

You stared at it in abject horror. 

You’d mixed Bucky’s and Sam’s gifts up. 

Your mind ran through what exactly had gone wrong. A loud smack rang out in the room as your palm met your forehead. 

“I wrapped both their gifts in clothing boxes! It was convenient because Sam’s portrait happened to fit in one! I wrapped everything at once and I… I must have gotten their gifts confused,” you whispered, hands covering your mouth in shock. 

“So… you didn’t get Bucky a painting of Sam for Christmas?” Steve asked. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from the ridiculous piece. When you’d asked him to teach you how to paint, he’d never expected… _this_. While it was beautifully done and captured Sam’s likeness well… it was just _so odd_. 

“No! Oh god, no wonder he was so upset. Him and Sam hate each other!” you said in despair, Bucky’s reaction suddenly making a lot more sense. 

Steve seemed to dwell on that for a moment, brow furrowed as he lost himself in thought. 

“I don’t even have his gift… I gave it to Sam before he left for D.C….” you said slowly. You quickly pulled out your phone and sent him a text telling him about the mix up.

> _Gave you the wrong gift, pal. Give you the right one when you get back?_

You expected him to take a while to respond considering the reason, but your phone buzzed before you even had a chance to set it down.

> _I don’t know, Hotrod. This has my name on it. I might just keep it._

You smirked at that.

> _You don’t want that gift, Wingman. Unless you want to start dressing like Bucky._

You hit send and only had to wait a few seconds before he responded.

> _Can I just throw it in the fire?_

You rolled your eyes. They were so petty when it came to each other.

> _No. No, you cannot._

“Everything alright?” Steve asked warily as you tapped away at your phone. 

“Yeah, just making sure Bucky’s real gift makes it back to the base in one piece,” you said, once again turning your attention to your phone as it buzzed again.

> _Fine. But my gift better be damn amazing._

You rolled your eyes and shoved your phone back into your pocket. “Damn… I really messed up,” you said, staring dejectedly at the painting still in Steve’s hands. 

He set it gently back into the box and, to your surprise, turned a smile on you. “It’ll be alright. You can go explain what happened to Bucky while I get dinner started,” Steve said reassuringly.

You did a double take at his words. “Wait, what-” 

“Go tell him about what happened. He’ll understand. He was just disappointed,” Steve said, patting you on the shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen, leaving you to reel your emotions and thoughts in alone. 

Disappointed? Was that reaction warranted for being disappointed about a gift from a coworker or friend? Would he even accept your apology and excuse without his real gift as a peace offering?

You sighed and stood abruptly, pushing those thoughts from your mind. You made a mistake and it was time to own up to it. It was up to Bucky if he’d be reasonable about what happened or not. 

You hastily packed the painting away and shoved it under the tree, its plain white surface looking dull compared to the other lavishly wrapped gifts.

You made your way to Bucky’s room. You knew the path so well by then that you barely paid attention to where you were going as your mind wandered and you suddenly found yourself in front of Bucky’s door. You took a deep breath and steeled yourself. 

You knocked on his door, your fist a gentle rap against the wood. “Bucky?” you asked hesitantly.

You waited for a moment, but there was no response. 

You tried again, knocking louder this time, anxiety lacing your veins. When it became clear he wasn’t going to open his door, you started your bad habit of rambling. “Bucky, it’s me. Uh, (Y/N).” _He obviously knows it’s you, dummy. Focus._ “I just wanted to say that you got the wrong gift by mistake. You got Sam’s and Sam got yours- I know, stupid. They were in the same type of box and I guess when I was wrapping them I didn’t notice they’d gotten mixed up and-”

Your meandering explanation was cut off as he opened his door. He loomed in the doorway, studying you warily. 

“-and I can’t give you your actual gift until Sam gets back. Sorry,” you finished lamely, eyes glued guiltily to the ground. 

He didn’t speak right away and you felt his gaze burning holes through you. Finally, “So you _didn’t_ get me a painting of Sam for Christmas?” he asked, causing your head to snap up in alarm.

“No! I got you- _mff_ ,” his flesh hand slapped over your mouth before you could get the rest of your sentence out. When you realized you were about to ruin the surprise, your eyes widened in horror. 

He raised a single eyebrow at you and- correctly guessing you’d realized your mistake by the look on your face- removed his hand. 

“Thanks. And… sorry. Again,” you said sheepishly, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

“It’s alright, Doll. Sorry I acted a fool earlier,” he said quietly, a small, sheepish smile dancing on his lips. Surely you were imagining the warmth in his eyes.

“We’re starting to make dinner, if you want to come help?” you asked quickly, easily flustered under his gaze. You felt your cheeks heat and you hoped he didn’t notice how nervous you were. 

“Depends. Is Steve letting you near the ovens again?” he asked playfully. 

“I’m never living that down, am I?” you asked as an embarrassed grin worked its way onto your face.

“Never,” he said simply. He stepped out of his room, closing the door gently behind him. “Shall we?” he asked as he tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen. 

“Mhm!” you hummed cheerfully. You wished you could be more eloquent around him, but he made your brain turn into a jumbled mess. You blamed his eyes. Or maybe it was his voice. Or the way his soft brown hair framed his face. Or those pouty lips. Or maybe his god-like physique. Maybe his skills? Or his hesitant, kind personality?

You bit back a beleaguered sigh. No, it was just Bucky as a whole. He just… did that to you, and you should have accepted it long ago.

Oh well. Plans F and G were bound to work. You had the entire team helping you this time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re the newest Avenger. Realizing that Bucky plans to spend Christmas alone, you enlist the help of Wanda, your best friend, and Steve, Bucky’s best friend and your mentor. You’re determined to make his Christmas amazing.
> 
> Plan A X  
> Plan B X  
> Plans C and D XX  
> Plan E X
> 
> Ok, Plan F and G have to work… please let plans F and G work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Powered!Reader
> 
> Warnings: language, fluff
> 
> Sorry, this chapter is pretty short.

[Originally posted by drunkcravings](https://tmblr.co/ZtdiMw2ENJCVX)

_“We’re starting to make dinner, if you want to come help?” you asked quickly, easily flustered under his gaze. You felt your cheeks heat and you hoped he didn’t notice how nervous you were.  
_

_“Depends. Is Steve letting you near the ovens again?” he asked playfully.  
_

_“I’m never living that down, am I?” you asked as an embarrassed grin worked its way onto your face._

_“Never,” he said simply. He stepped out of his room, closing the door gently behind him. “Shall we?” he asked as he tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen.  
_

_“Mhm!” you hummed cheerfully. You wished you could be more eloquent around him, but he made your brain turn into a jumbled mess. You blamed his eyes. Or maybe it was his voice. Or the way his soft brown hair framed his face. Or those pouty lips. Or maybe his god-like physique. Maybe his skills? Or his hesitant, kind personality?  
_

_You bit back a beleaguered sigh. No, it was just Bucky as a whole. He just… did that to you, and you should have accepted it long ago._

_Oh well. Plans F and G were bound to work. You had the entire team helping you this time.  
_

* * *

To your surprise, dinner went well. Plan F was a success. Everyone ended up lending a helping hand (even Vision and Wanda, who reappeared shortly after the prep work had begun) and by 5:30 the lot of you were gathered around the dinner table, glistening Christmas ham front and center, surrounded by way too many side dishes for only the five of you, even after taking super soldier metabolism into account. There would be leftovers for days.

After a brief moment of silence, Steve began carving up the ham, giving generous portions to himself and Bucky. The rest of you began digging into the side dishes as merry chatter filled the table. Even Bucky came out of his shell, laughing and talking more than you’d ever seen him around people other than Steve.

[Originally posted by imaginingbucky](https://tmblr.co/Z-g39h27e5iKy)

By the time the pies were reduced to bits of fruit and crumbs in their trays, you were all stuffed (even Steve and Bucky, which almost never happened). The happy chatter had slowly given way to a companionable, sleepy quiet. 

It was you who spoke up first, snapping everyone out of their food coma-induced states. “Pack up the leftovers and watch a movie in the lounge?” you asked them lazily.

Wanda groaned. “But that would require us to _move_ ,” she said dramatically.

“Even I must admit that moving at the moment does not sound ideal,” Vision chimed in, earning a few cheeky smiles from the team. The Vision could overeat. Who knew?

“The faster we get this done, the sooner we can relax and inevitably fall asleep on the couches while we watch movies,” Steve said knowledgeably. 

Although none of you wanted to move, his logic won out and all of you began the arduous process of cleaning up. You moved dishes from the dining room to the kitchen, where Wanda and Vision carefully packed away leftovers in glass tupperware. Steve and Bucky tackled the dirty dishes with nearly scary precision. You were done faster than you thought you’d be. 

Steve wrapped some leftovers in tinfoil and placed it on low heat in the oven. Sharon was due back soon from her mission and he wanted to have hot food ready for her, even if they were technically leftovers at this point. 

After everything was clean and tidy, the five of you meandered your way to the lounge, your food comas not relinquishing their grips on your bodies just yet. 

Vision and Wanda collapsed on one of the smaller couches. Wanda immediately buried herself and Vision in a small mountain of blankets, tucking herself neatly up against him.

You, Steve, and Bucky flopped onto the largest couch, with you in the middle. 

“FRIDAY, do the thing,” you muttered. Time to start Plan G.

“Right away, Miss (Y/L/N),” the AI replied in its Irish brogue. 

The lights immediately dimmed and the projector whirred to life as the giant white screen lowered. A moment later the screen lit up, the Metro Goldwyn Mayer Lion roaring its way onto the screen. At the sound of the first toll of the bell- before the first word was uttered or the first face was shown on screen- Bucky and Steve tensed next to you. Just like all older movies, the credits came through at the beginning, a choir singing joyfully while accompanied by a cacophony of bells as names popped up on screen.

You’d chosen A Christmas Carol for a reason. While it was a Christmas classic, it was one of the few that dated back to when they were younger (well, this 1938 version did, at least). You looked over to Steve as the first scene started playing, trying your best to remain still as you fidgeted excitedly. Dinner went well and now they’d be able to-

You froze at the look on Steve’s face. He wasn’t looking at the movie or even at you. He was staring wide-eyed over your head… directly at Bucky. You swiveled so quickly to look at Bucky you nearly gave yourself whiplash. 

Bucky was staring at the screen, looking mortified. 

“Buck-” Steve said quietly.

Nearly faster than your eyes could follow, Bucky vaulted over the back of the couch and headed out of the room, straight towards the elevators.

“Bucky, wait-!” you made to run after him, but were stopped before you’d even left the couch by Steve’s firm grip on your wrist.

“FRIDAY, stop the movie, please,” he said quietly.

“Yes, Captain Rogers,” the AI chirped. No sooner had she finished speaking than the movie stopped, lights flicking back to a normal level.

“Steve, what-”

“I wish you’d asked me first… about the movie choice,” Steve said softly, dropping your wrist. He stared at the hallway his friend had just disappeared down forlornly, blue eyes immeasurably sad. 

“I- I thought you guys would enjoy it! It came out in 1938 so I thought there was a chance you guys would have seen it! I… why?” you asked, gesturing helplessly at the place Bucky had been a moment ago. 

Steve let out a long, sad sigh, sounding- for once- like the nearly century old man that he was. Wanda and Vision surreptitiously watched from their couch, morbidly curious about Bucky’s reaction, too.

“It was Rebecca’s favorite Christmas movie,” Steve said solemnly. 

Oh. _Oh_. Oh no. Rebecca. Bucky’s sister. 

“She would make us watch it every time it came on the TV around Christmas time. One year the Barnes’ TV broke so she dragged us to the neighbor’s place to watch it. We… never really knew why she loved it so much. She loved to yell at Scrooge, though,” Steve said slowly, his gaze eighty years away. 

You flopped face-first onto the couch, startling both Steve and Wanda. “Oh god I fucked up,” you said, voice muffled by the couch cushions.

“Yeah, you did,” Steve agreed, staring down at the rapidly deteriorating pile of goo formerly known as (Y/N). 

You turned your head enough so you could glare at him out of the corner of one eye. “ **This was a terrible plan** ,” you said angrily. “Beginning with the cookies all the way down to the movies, this plan blew,” you said dejectedly, banging your head repeatedly into the sofa cushion. 

Steve raised an eyebrow. “ **This was _your_ plan** ,” he said, sounding a little annoyed.

“I know! That’s why I’m trying to suffocate myself in this luxurious Corinthian leather,” you mumbled despondently, mouth squished up against the cushion. 

Steve rolled his eyes at you and hefted you off of the couch as though you weighed nothing.

“Hey!” you squawked indignantly, trying to squirm out of his grasp to no avail. 

[Originally posted by marvel-and-ackles](https://tmblr.co/Z1jq0j25SWVcB)

“Stop moping. Go fix it,” Steve said, literally throwing you over the couch and towards the hallway where Bucky had disappeared. 

You somehow managed to land on your feet, teetering slightly as you regained your balance in your sudden change of position. “Wouldn’t _you_ be the best one to go talk to him?” you asked, glaring at the blond super soldier

“No, he won’t want to talk to me right now. I’ll remind him too much of… just go, (Y/N). Captain’s orders,” he said stoically, waving you off lazily. 

You thought about arguing but movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention. Wanda was making tiny shooing motions. She mouthed something along the lines of _“go get him,”_ making you roll your eyes. Two against one. You were good, but not out-argue Captain America and the Scarlet Witch good. 

You turned your attention back to Steve, scowl wrinkling your brow. “Fine, but when he tells me to fuck off, you have to talk to him. Alright?” 

Steve shrugged as though the very idea was a nonissue. “Fine, fine. Just go,” Steve said dismissively. 

Knowing that was the best deal you were going to get, you turned on your heel, stalking off down the hallway Bucky had vanished in. 

So much for your plans. It was time to wing it and hope for the best.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plan A, Plan B, Plans C and D, Plan E, Plans F and G. All of your plans have gone to hell and you really hurt Bucky in the process. Steve and Wanda are adamant you go talk to Bucky, and you resolve to fix your mistakes as best you can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Bucky x Female!Powered!Reader
> 
> Warnings: language (always), fluff
> 
> A/N: This is the end, folks. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> *gifs not mine*

[Originally posted by n5fw](https://tmblr.co/ZlfF9q22QpJ0N)

_“Stop moping. Go fix it,” Steve said, literally throwing you over the couch and towards the hallway where Bucky disappeared.  
_

_You somehow managed to land on your feet, teetering slightly as you regained your balance in your sudden change of position. “Wouldn’t you be the best one to go talk to him?” you asked, glaring at the blond super soldier_

_“No, he won’t want to talk to me right now. I’ll remind him too much of… just go, (Y/N). Captain’s orders,” he said stoically, waving you off lazily.  
_

_You thought about arguing but movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention. Wanda was making tiny shooing motions. She mouthed something along the lines of “go get him,” making you roll your eyes. Two against one. You were good but not out-argue Captain America and the Scarlet Witch good.  
_

_You turned your attention back to Steve, scowl wrinkling your brow. “Fine, but when he tells me to fuck off, you have to talk to him. Alright?”  
_

_Steve shrugged as though the very thought was a nonissue. “Fine, fine. Just go,” Steve said dismissively.  
_

_Knowing that was the best deal you were going to get, you turned on your heel, stalking off down the hallway Bucky had vanished in.  
_

_So much for your plans. It was time to wing it and hope for the best._

* * *

About ten feet down the hallway you suddenly realized that this wasn’t in the direction of Bucky’s room… and you had no idea where he was. 

“FRIDAY, where’s Bucky?” you asked, suddenly a little worried. If FRIDAY lost track of him-

“Sergeant Barnes is outside, Miss (Y/L/N),” she informed you. Your anxiety kicked up a notch as you jogged towards the elevators.

“Is he leaving the base?” you asked frantically as you jabbed the call elevator button at least fifteen times.

“No, Miss (Y/L/N). He’s currently sitting on a bench just outside of the residential building,” FRIDAY said.

The doors opened and you practically threw yourself inside the elevator, closing the doors as soon as possible, as you repeatedly jabbed the button for the lobby.

“What, out in the snow? He’s just sitting there?” you asked, thoroughly confused. The elevator sped up the floors, the trip going quickly because the base was nearly empty and it didn’t have to stop every floor like usual. 

“That is correct,” FRIDAY confirmed. 

“Fuck,” you let out a shaky breath. You’d messed up. Real bad. He was in such a state of shock that he wasn’t even hiding in his room. He hated the snow yet he was out there sitting in it. _Sitting_ in it! Not even pacing or throwing snowballs at windows or kicking the white stuff everywhere. Just. Sitting.

The elevator opened to reveal the lobby and you ran towards the front doors, barreling through it with reckless abandon the second it was open. You were in such a hurry you’d forgotten to ask which side of the building he was on. You chose a direction at random and started running around the perimeter of the building, hoping you’d see him sooner rather than later. 

You didn’t have to search very long. As soon as you turned the corner you spotted him, the only dark spot against the clean white landscape. You slowed down into a walk, breath coming out in a cloud in front of you. It was dark now, and you didn’t want to scare him by running up to him. 

The snow crunched under your bare feet and fat flakes from the sky landed on your lashes, causing you to rapidly blink them away. The little light from the building cast an eerie glow over the surrounding area, bathing Bucky in a cold, fluorescent glow.

You walked up to him slowly. He gave no indication he heard you coming, but there was no way he couldn’t hear you approaching; the crunch of snow and ice under your feet sounded like explosions and your breathing sounded like furnace bellows in the cold, quiet night. 

Before you knew it you were next to him. You were shocked to see he hadn’t even put shoes on; his grey toe socks were matted with ice and snow and his pants were soaked to halfway up his calves. He was staring across the grounds, but you had a feeling he wasn’t seeing much of anything. 

“Mind if I sit here?” you asked quietly, your voice sounding way too loud even though it was barely a whisper.

No response. More blank staring that made your heart sink to your feet. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” you whispered, taking a seat directly beside him on his right. He hadn’t moved so much as an inch since you’d initially spotted him, but now that you were next to him you could see he was shivering, his entire body trembling minutely. 

Startled, you focused hard, willing the air around your bodies to raise in temperature. You focused heat in your hands and, ever so slowly, reached out for his flesh hand, taking it between your own. Slowly, the snow around you and Bucky began melting against your heat. 

Keeping the temperature consistent was taking all of your concentration, so you didn’t notice at first when he began to stir. 

It was only once his hand gently squeezed yours and he murmured “Doll,” that you realized you’d closed your eyes.

Your eyes flicked open, only to be met with his steel blue ones, which were mere inches from yours. 

[Originally posted by thosekidswhohuntmonsters](https://tmblr.co/ZyVV5h2Ouh4l0)

Neither of you moved except for your eyes. Your gaze flicked down to his cold-chapped lips and you knew he was guilty of doing the same. The moment hung in the air like that, neither of you daring to make the first move. 

Finally, you couldn’t take the tension anymore.

And you chickened out. “I’m sorry,” you said quickly. It took a moment for it to register, but he’d said the same thing at the exact same time. 

You both leaned back a little bit, looking at the other in confusion. “Why are you sorry?” you asked each other, yet again in unison. 

You both froze again, looking at each other, gaze flicking nervously to various points on each other’s faces. Then, you both broke out in quiet laughter. It lasted longer than it should have because every time you looked at each other the chuckling fits took over again. You were right earlier. His laugh really was the most wonderful thing you’d ever heard. 

Eventually, though, the both of you were able to calm down enough that you were able to speak again. “Why are you sorry?” you asked him quietly, eyes searching his. You tried to not freak out over the fact he hadn’t dropped your hand yet. Maybe it was just because you were warm… but you couldn’t help but hope it was more than that.

“Because I’ve been antisocial all day and I ran out during the first ten seconds of your movie,” he said guiltily. 

The words slipped out before you could stop them. “You’re an idiot.”

Your eyes widened in horror at your lack of tact. Him being so close was doing things to your brain… namely turning it to mush. He seemed just as surprised as you by your words and you scrambled to explain yourself before he inevitably took them the wrong way.

“What I mean is you don’t have to be sorry about that! I’m the one who dragged you around all day doing things you didn’t want to do! I didn’t even know what that movie meant to you! I didn’t ask and I should have! It’s not like anything went according to plan, anyway! I came up with so many things I thought you might enjoy but every time those plans blew up in my face and I’m surprised you didn’t just hole up in your room and never speak to me again after the disaster that was today! It really should be Ste-”

Your words were cut off when he placed his metal index finger gently over your lips. “You’re rambling again,” he said, small smile on his lips. “And you have nothing to be sorry for, Doll. I enjoyed today; Way more than I would have alone,” he said quietly. His finger lingered on your lips a few seconds longer than it needed to and you didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered there, too. 

You weren’t sure who leaned in first. It could have been him. It might have been you. Chances are, you both leaned in at the same time. The last thing you saw before you closed your eyes and felt his lips on yours were his light blue eyes, pupils blown wide in the darkness.

His lips were soft and cold against yours, causing a shiver to run down your spine. Your hands acted of their own accord, ghosting up his muscular arms to tangle themselves in his hair. Even after warming him up, every inch of him was freezing cold against your fingertips. He sighed into the kiss as your nails scraped lightly against his scalp, your fingertips working life back into him wherever they went. His metal arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you against himself as your lips melded together. His flesh hand came up and cupped the back of your head, pulling you closer and your lips crushed together frantically. 

Much too soon, your body was screaming for air and you broke the kiss. You looked up at him, a little shocked but oh so happy, and you saw a similar look on his features. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now,” he murmured as he rested his forehead against yours, blue eyes boring into yours.

“You- you what?” you sputtered, completely taken by surprise. 

He chuckled at you, hoisting you easily into his lap so that you were sitting perpendicular to him. “Come here, I’m cold,” he muttered as he wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder, his breath tickling your neck. 

You tried to hide how happy you were at these sudden developments, deciding to latch onto what he’d said.

“What did you just say?” you whispered, looking down at him, hands resting on his broad shoulders. 

“I’m cold,” he said, grinning up mischievously at you. 

“No, before that!” you said, giving him the stink eye. 

You couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the low light or not, but you swore Bucky’s cheeks turned an even darker pink than they’d been a moment ago. 

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a while now,” he murmured, unable to meet your gaze. 

For once in your life, you were shocked into silence. 

“More than that, though,” he continued quietly. He released one arm from around you and reached into the inner pocket of his sweater, pulling a small, long box out a second later. 

You watched, heart thudding in your chest, as he wrapped his arms around you again and rested his chin on your shoulder. He placed his hands in your lap, box between his hands. “I know this is… kind of sudden, and the gift is a day early,” he said quietly. “But I was wondering if you’d be my best girl?” he asked, finally moving the lid out of the way to reveal a necklace. It was a tiny ruby star pendant that perfectly matched the one on his arm, attached to a delicate silver chain.

You felt your breath leave you in a _whoosh_ at his words. He didn’t just want to kiss you… he wanted to date you, too? You turned to look at him, hardly daring to believe your own eyes and ears. 

Your silence seemed to make him nervous, but before he could open his mouth, you were able to find your voice. 

“Yes! Yes, I’d like that- I’d like that very much, Bucky,” you said quickly, cheeks heating with embarrassment. 

The smile he graced you with just then was absolutely dazzling. You thought you’d seen him smile before, but it was nothing compared to this. It was like the sun had come up early, so bright was your world all of a sudden. 

You leaned in and kissed him, once again losing yourself in the feeling of his soft lips against yours. How long had you dreamed of something like this? Of kissing Bucky? As it turned out, your dreams couldn’t hold a candle to the reality. The feeling of him underneath you; the soft noises of contentment he made when your fingers tangled in his hair; the way your heart threatened to beat straight out of your chest from happiness and excitement. 

The two of you broke apart after a minute, panting slightly for lack of air. The way he was looking up at you made you want to melt into his arms.

“May I?” he asked after a moment, holding the necklace up, eyeing you tentatively. 

You nodded eagerly, turning around on his lap so that you faced the same direction as him, making sure your hair was out of the way as you moved. 

His hands appeared on either side of your vision, each holding one end of the necklace. He lowered it onto you slowly, the cool metal quickly warming against your skin. You thought he might have trouble doing the tiny clasp with his metal fingers and all, but apparently you needn’t have worried. 

“There,” he said softly, placing a butterfly-light kiss to the back of your neck which made you shiver. 

You turned to face him and you saw him eye the necklace proudly before his gaze flicked back up to you. “Can… can I show you something?” you asked hesitantly, biting your lip. You didn’t have his present… but perhaps you could still do something special for him. 

“Of course, Doll,” Bucky said, half smile on his lips as he nodded.

You hopped off his lap and had the pleasure of seeing Bucky Barnes pout for a moment. “Feet up,” you said, leaning down to place a quick kiss on the tip of his nose, which made his smile return in earnest. He did as you asked, sitting cross-legged on the bench, eyeing you with interest. 

You settled carefully back down into his lap, facing away from him, and sent heat through your body, hopefully dispelling the worst of the ice and snow on his legs and feet. Super Soldier or not, the cold probably didn’t feel very good. Your suspicions were confirmed when a vaguely pornographic moan of relief left his lips. You turned to look at him, grinning widely. “If you were that cold you could have asked me to do that a while ago,” you chastised.

“Didn’t seem as important at the time,” he murmured, winking mischievously at you. 

You couldn’t help the wide smile on your face as you turned to face the base. “Alright, you should probably do your best not to distract me. I don’t think they’ll be very happy if I burn down the compound,” you warned, gathering your power in your hands. 

“What-”

“Shh,” you said chastisingly, snuggling into his chest. He shushed and wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin carefully on your shoulder. You realized just then exactly how much you liked him right there. Below you. Around you. Beside you. You didn’t think you’d ever get tired of the feeling.

A ball of fire appeared in your hand, starting from a small spark and working up to a tiny inferno. You focused harder, increasing the heat until the flame turned blue and white. 

It seemed a shame to you that they could never decorate the outside of the buildings. One of the most fun things about the holiday seasons was seeing houses decked out in yards upon yards of Christmas lights. 

With that vision in mind, you sent sparks out from the flame, one after the other, as far as you could across the compound. You were careful to contain their heat so they wouldn’t start fires. You used the tiny blue and white flames to decorate trees, roofs, hand rails, buildings. You made icicles out of flame. You even made a shining north star in the sky. By the time you were done, the outside of the base was a Winter Wonderland that would have put even Disney World to shame. Snow glistened in the light of your fire, basking the entire compound in an ethereal glow. Bucky stared at it all with wide eyes, taking all of it in. The snow and flame reminded you of you and Bucky. You seemed to warm the icy outer shell he always wore and he tempered your fiery unpredictability. You mused about how funny it was that The _Winter_ Soldier was now dating Blaze.

You held it as long as you could, but had to stop after only a few minutes, the lights flickering out all at once. The base suddenly seemed pitch black by comparison and it took your eyes a second to adjust. 

“Did… did you like it?” you asked hesitantly, turning your head to look at him sheepishly. 

“Did I _like_ it? Doll, that was stunning,” he said earnestly, flesh hand coming up to cup your face, his thumb caressing your cheek gently. 

“I… I got you shirts for Christmas. _Shirts_. And you got me a necklace! With what I assume is a _real_ ruby! I know it isn’t a lot, but I… I’ve been working really hard on controlling my powers and I was playing around in my room one day and found out I could send sparks out like that and I thought that maybe you might like-”

Your tangent was silenced by his lips on yours. It was a short, tender thing that took your breath away just as easily as the longer kisses had. 

Bucky was so happy just then he didn’t even care you’d just spoiled the surprise of his Christmas gift. He’d wear those shirts until they were tattered rags. His blue eyes bored into yours, his eyes shining with a light you’d never seen in them until now. “You already gave me the best gift I could have asked for, Doll: The best Christmas I could have ever hoped for… and saying yes to dating a jerk like me.”

You threw your arms around him and he pulled you to his chest. “You’re not a jerk!” you said stubbornly. 

“Alright, alright. Fine, I’m not a jerk,” he said, placing a tender kiss to your hair. 

The two of you sat like that for a while, cradled in each others arms, enjoying the Winter Wonderland around you.

“Hey, Bucky?” 

You felt more than heard his hummed response.

“Want to go inside and watch Elf? It’s a great Christmas movie,” you murmured, burying your face in his neck. He gave you a gentle squeeze in response and you could hear the smile in his voice when he responded, his breath ghosting over your hair. 

“In a bit, Doll. Let’s stay out just a little while longer.”

[Originally posted by jlbwedding](https://tmblr.co/ZE8Fnt1acgGrC)

 


End file.
